VOLUME 7 ISSUE 20
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Community Foundation Inspire Gala Page B1 May 8-14 2026
Rails to ranches: 150 years of Anthony
State sued over universal vouchers By Ana Goñi-Lessan Florida News Service
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lorida’s largest teachers union filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Department of Education, alleging the disparity between traditional public schools and private schools receiving taxpayer vouchers violates the state constitution. The lawsuit filed in the Leon County Circuit Court by the Florida Education Association was joined by a group of parents, school board members and civil rights organizations. It alleges nearly $5 billion in taxpayer dollars are being sent to private schools and charter schools via the Family Empowerment Scholarship, which aren’t held to the same standards or oversight as traditional public schools. That discrepancy violates the Florida constitution’s requirement for the state to “make adequate provision for a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high-quality system of free public schools,” the lawsuit claims. “With this lawsuit we are simply asking for accountability, transparency and a basic set of educational standards, which is what every parent wants – regardless of where they choose to send their children,” said FEA President Andrew Spar. “Floridians have made it clear we should be strengthening not abandoning our public schools.” Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas defended the universal voucher program, saying the program empowers parents. “Thanks to (Gov. Ron DeSantis), every Florida family has access to universal school choice, empowering them to select the learning environment that best fits their child’s individual needs,” Kamoutsas wrote in a post on X. “We stand unapologetically convicted on the principle of always putting students first!” As of March, there were an estimated 521,000 students enrolled in private and home school options using voucher funds for the 20252026 school year, according to data from the state’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research. According to the lawsuit, about a quarter of the state’s education budget is going to voucher programs, up from 12 percent in 2021. See Vouchers, page A3
From its early beginnings, this small town has been home to a diverse population and has seen many changes and challenges.
Historic photos of Anthony are shown during a meeting of the Anthony Historical Society on April 24, 2026.
Historic photos of Anthony.
Members of the Anthony Historical Society, front, from left, Bertha Krietemeyer Flynn, Shelia Castro, Christina Scott, Joyce Hooker and Betty Mitchell Oliver, and back, from left, Priscilla Lewis-Swinton, Lincoln Mitchell, Janet Mitchell-Silverhawk and Djuna Poole, look over historic photos during a meeting at the Anthony Woman’s Club on April 24, 2026. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2026.
By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
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here is a small town in north Marion County that has a history rich in cultural diversity, is deeply rooted in agriculture, was part of the early railroad expansion in the area and has residents who share an affinity for its uniqueness. Anthony, which can trace its beginnings to the mid-1800s, when a migration of settlers from South Carolina into Marion County began, will celebrate its 150th anniversary this year. The Anthony Historical Society will host a Founder’s Day Celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 16, with the theme Rails to Ranches, 150 years of Anthony, Florida. The event, which will take place at the Anthony Community Park and
the adjacent Anthony Woman’s Club, will include historical memorabilia, vendors, live music, food trucks and more. According to historical information online, in 1883, the Florida Southern Railway extended through the area and connected Anthony to markets in Ocala and beyond. In addition to its agriculture and cattle farms, a late 1880s phosphate boom accelerated growth in the area. Anthony was incorporated as a town in 1892. In the 1930s, the town faced financial challenges that were too steep to overcome and residents voted for dissolution, after which the town transitioned to unincorporated status within Marion County. Today, notable town entities are Anthony Elementary School, several small businesses, the Jumbolair
Aviation Estates, of which noted actor John Travolta is a resident, and numerous equine and agriculture related properties. According to Bertha Krietemeyer Flynn, who was born in Munroe Memorial Hospital, which is now AdventHealth Ocala, and was raised in Anthony, it was almost two years ago that she and Shelia Castro, who was raised in Anthony until age 11 and moved back seven years ago, began to talk about the history of the town. Materials provided by Flynn note that they sat together with a shared worry: that the stories of Anthony — its pioneers, farms, railroad days and families — might fade if no one stepped forward to protect them. That concern, and the love behind it, became the
A historic photo of Anthony.
spark that created the Anthony Historical Society. Among this area’s pioneering families were the Leitners, who settled in several communities within Marion County. According to Annabelle Leitner, who lives with her sister Nancy on the family’s pioneer heritage farm in Shiloh, in northwest Marion County, and who is a noted local historian, the name of Anthony can be traced to Col. E. C. Anthony from Muncie, Indiana. “Jacob Leitner and his wife Charlotte Souter Leitner were my great-greatgrandparents. Jacob is the one who, according to Leitner family tradition, sold one of his plantations to Col. Anthony for what was to become Anthony Place, then later Anthony,” Leitner wrote via email. See Rails to ranches, page A7
Former NAACP president passes away in Ocala TiAnna Harris was involved with numerous area organizations, many of which are connected to youth. By Susan Smiley-Height susan@magnoliamediaco.com
TiAnna Harris poses with her adopted son, Jaxson, then 21 months old, at Jervey Gantt Park in Ocala on Nov. 20, 2021. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]
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mong her numerous professional accomplishments, including serving as president of the local Branch 5114 of the NAACP, TiAnna Harris was perhaps best known for the deep love she had for
others, including the children she raised and those she mentored and supported. After being diagnosed with endometriosis and having a hysterectomy at age 23, Harris, whose first married name was Greene, later became the mother of three children who were not biologically hers — GerriAle Greene, Raykhia Thomas
and ReJae Greene — and, in late 2021, she adopted Jaxson Greene. A previous “Ocala Gazette” article from the time noted that she and her former husband had talked about adopting but didn’t follow through. After they divorced, she found fulfillment by helping friends and family members raise their three
daughters. Along the way, Harris served for more than 27 years with the Department of Juvenile Justice, obtained several higher education degrees, started a nonprofit and other organizations, and was a member of numerous boards within the community. See TiAnna Harris , page A8
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WWII vet takes Honor Flight... A4 Lotus Marion unveiling.............. A5 Candidate Q&A............................ A9 Rolling for The Rock................... B2 Calendar........................................ B6
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